i saw a Saudi on tv that said regarding prices that "Oil should be sold at the pharmacy.".
it's my belief that someday, me and family will be huddled in the house shivering and some guy will come blowing by in a 42' boat; no problem. the free market i guess?
to save the day - have you looked at geothermal? unlike regular 'air' heatpump, cold winter temps do not ruin savings.
to compare, you have to calculate operational cost savings over a 5 yr period (an assumed low-repair operating period for new machinery) and compare it to the substantial cost for installation of the new geo system; which is highly site-dependent. if there's a payback in 5 years - it's really time to consider it. that comparison includes an assumption that your current system will operate w/o major failure during that same 5 yr period.
when i got my current system (had to) 8 yrs ago, i only had to compare 'the difference in price' between a new oil vs new geo systems, by comparing the relative installation costs vs projected cost savings for 5 yrs - it was close and oil was much cheaper back then. and, 8 yrs ago, i could not find an actual homeowner that had geo and was willing to say they liked it etc.. but i think that has changed also.
ps - :i put in some new insulation last year and calculated enough savings to get the new boat.
